Tag Archives: Wisdom

While in Nicaragua, on a trip with World Vision, we visited a school in an impoverished community where World Vision is training teens to mentor younger students in their school on academic topics. Essentially, juniors and seniors are mentoring 3rd-6th graders in reading and math. As we listened to the student mentors, I was deeply inspired by their character, sacrifice, and effort in serving the younger students of their community. Because I was so inspired I choose to address the teens in a manner that was unique but very purposeful.

With my interpreter, I pulled up a chair right in front of the twenty students so that I could be close to them and look each of them in the eye. As I began, I shared with them that I want to speak to them as if I were their father and that they were to hear me as if the words are coming from their Papa.

What I said to them is this: “As your father I am incredibly proud of you. You are the very best this nation has to offer. You're sacrificial, in that each of you gives up your free time to mentor younger students. Most of you walk many kilometers to be here to instruct and encourage younger students. You, in fact, are not normal student leaders, but truly extraordinary leaders. Your hearts long to make a difference and give back to your community and thereby inspire students and teachers alike. Your effort is making a difference. You are raising up a strong generation. You are setting others up for success. You are setting this community up for success. You honor your family name and your honor your Lord Jesus Christ. As my son or daughter, I would choose you every time.”

Each student was deeply engaged in receiving this feedback and encouragement. Some even had tears in their eyes.

As I ended, the young 17 year old girl who was the leader of this team of mentors spoke these powerful words: “Thank you for seeing us for who we are, not for what we have.”

She stunned me. In our nation many strive to be seen for what they have, not for who they are. Just the exact opposite of this profound young lady.

As I reflected on her deep comment, my prayer became; “Lord, by your grace may my heart and effort be focused on being seen for who I am in Christ, and not for what I have.”

May we be as wise as this teen from an impoverished village in Nicaragua.

“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20).

With whom do you walk (figuratively or literally) through life who offers you wisdom? Do you walk with your father or father-in-law, or mother or mother-in-law? When you walk with them are you slow to speak and quick to listen? Indeed, wisdom comes to those who listen more and talk less. Wisdom is a product of the people who pour into you.

Your wisdom walk may be over the phone with a mentor who lives in another city or a neighbor across the street who, by God’s grace, has already raised God-fearing children. Look around you and learn from those wise ones the Lord has placed in your life. Pray for a “Paul” who can be your spiritual instructor. “Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Corinthians 4:17).

No one is ever too old or too wise to need a regular wisdom walk. Perhaps you take the time to walk with your spouse after dinner or a co-worker during the lunch hour. Vacations are ideal to walk with a wise family member. Walk while the brilliant sun arises or a majestic sunset kisses the horizon. A wisdom walk allows your soul to catch up with the hectic pace of your body. Indeed, walk with the wise, and you will grow wise.

Talk about topics that are relevant to your season of life. Maybe it is insight into parenting a teenager, financial management, decision making, how to love and respect your spouse, books to read, or devotion to Christ. Ask your wise walkers what mistakes they made and how you can learn from them. Listen to their ideas, process them in prayer, and apply them to your life. Otherwise, unused wisdom becomes fodder for foolishness!

Above all, have wisdom walks with almighty God. Unlike Adam and Eve, learn to live in the intimacy of the moment with your heavenly Father. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). Walk with Jesus, and you will become much the wiser. Keep Christ your closest companion.

Prayer: Who are wise people in my life with whom I can enjoy regular wisdom walks? What does it look like for me to have wisdom walks with my heavenly Father?

“Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace” (2 Corinthians 1:12).

Worldly wisdom has a way of reducing Heaven’s wisdom to an afterthought. Using our worldly wisdom, we pray and seek to discern the Lord’s ways only after our ways do not work. It is tempting to rely on what seems to work instead of asking what the principles to live by are, based on God’s economy. Worldly wisdom is not only inferior but also competes with God’s grace.

The Lord sees the world’s wisdom as foolishness, and the world sees His wisdom as foolishness. Some who embrace the wisdom of the world say there is no personal God, but God says in His wisdom, this thinking flows from a fool. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). Sadly, the world’s wisdom has no room for Jesus.

“For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).

Worldly wisdom is flashier and sexier in its appeal. It invites pride to perch over those who have not yet achieved a superior standpoint. Ironically, the created dismisses the Creator as antiquated and out of touch. The traditional tenants of an all-knowing and ever-present Sovereign God are silly and irrational to this irreverent system of belief. But whomworldly wisdom embraces as the truly enlightened, the Lord defines as educated fools.

“Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20).

Therefore, do not try to outsmart your Savior Jesus Christ with intelligence void of humility and the fear of God. Academics, without an infusion of faith in almighty God, lead down a reckless path of disconnection from Deity. However, wise is the man or woman who is full of the grace of God and studies truth long and hard for the glory of God.

Faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God is not a leap into the dark; rather, it is a step into the light. Christian belief is based on the historical fact of His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. For some, the Lord’s wisdom wins out over their own, and they begin to seek out those people and places that possess His knowledge. “I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness” (Ecclesiastes 2:13).

Prayer: Am I embracing and believing the wisdom of the world or almighty God’s wisdom?

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20

Do you have a wise woman or man in whom you confide? Is there someone—your dad, mom, a business associate, or teacher—to whom you can go for objective, biblical advice? It is in humility we learn to harvest good sense and wisdom. Gaining God’s perspective is not a one-time event but a lifetime of leaning on others to grow in our understanding. Wisdom comes from walking with the wise, not flirting with fools.

Good people engage with good company. There is no separation of being influenced by skilled people with seedy morals during the week and hearing a sermon on Sunday. “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Instead, be intentional toward integrity. Seek out a wise peer, or ask a wise mom if you may call her for counsel. Wisdom walks with willing participants who obey.

“For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people” (1 Peter 2:15).

Beware of fools who talk fast but do not follow through. They may be aware of what is right and talk the talk, but they fail to walk the walk. They ignore integrity. Fools eventually damage relationships. Foolish behavior will come back to bite you; so avoid its influence. What seems like innocent fun eventually inflicts suffering and harms hearts. Fools practice anti-wisdom. “Fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7).

So where can you find wise companions? Look for them in church or in respected leadership roles in the community. Vet their resume of wise living by observing the countenance of their spouse, watching how they love their children, and studying their financial management. Jettison foolish friends so you have the capacity to walk with the wise. Ask, “Am I growing in wisdom or floundering with fools?”

A wise ruler once said, “It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:5).

Prayer: With whom can I walk in wisdom to become more Christlike in my life?

“Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” Hosea 14:9

Wise living keeps the realization and understanding of God in the vortex of your thinking. God awareness is a centerpiece. “What would Jesus do?” becomes a way of life. His desires, His motivations, His thoughts, and His character become paramount in your thinking. This leads to wise living because it is based on Christ-like living. God’s ways are the path to wisdom. The wisdom of God is unfathomable. But He is willing to share it. In fact, His preference is to shower His children with raindrops of wisdom. He delights in imparting His game plan for living.

However, it takes a regular realization on our part for the wisdom of God to penetrate our thinking. We must become people of the book. Joshua said it best: “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8).

Wise living includes the ability to discern right from wrong and good from best. Use the Bible as your guide for wise recommendations. Your ability to discern will grow as you mature in the faith. You may be a pretty good judge of character, but God wants to grow you in this area. Your discernment is a gift to your husband for protection against unwise decision-making (I Corinthians 2:14). He may not appreciate this yet, but if he is wise, he will. Therefore, present your insights with grace and humility. By faith, extract your overly aggressive emotion and replace it with a prayerful appeal. Hold your suggestions with an open hand,trusting God to work on your husband in His timing. He is accountable to God. Sweet relief. You don’t have to change him, but God can.

What God changes stays changed. What you change has a tendency to revert to its old way of doing things. You see what needs to be done as clearly as the nose on your face. Be patient. Let your husband fail. Plant seeds, pray, and watch the Holy Spirit turn the heart of your husband toward the right direction. It is not about you convincing him. Rather, it is all about the Spirit of God convincing him. If he is wise, he will seek your discernment (Proverbs 18:15). He may have to fall on his face first. Use your discernment as a steady-handed and skilled surgeon would a sharp scalpel. Avoid bludgeoning him with your accurate insights. The right timing, tone, and transparency are terrifically effective.

Wise is the husband or wife who listens to their spouse. Therefore, be humble and teachable. Understanding and discernment will follow. This is wise living.

Post/Tweet: It is unwise to flirt with friendships that dilute growth with God. #friends

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16 NKJV

The wise walk with a humble posture always learning from their Lord Jesus. They avoid a proud, protruding chest that leads to fits of folly. A wise walk is circumspect of its motives, seeking to remain prayerful and pure. Wisdom requires a regular audit of its actions so gullible assumptions and arrogant attitudes are kept at bay. Evil is on the prowl to produce fools who impatiently ignore wisdom for immediate emotional gratification.

Our walk in wisdom is meant to be steady and sure. Yet, there will be times we take two steps forward by faith and one step back to readjust from a reality check. Yes, a wisdom walk is not without temporary detours from human frailty, as we learn and grow. But, humility and a heart of obedience bring us back to the wise route. We walk wisely when we keep our eyes focused ahead on Jesus. He is our wisdom and He gives us wisdom.

“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God— that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30

Your walk in wisdom contributes to a wise stewardship of time. Fools waste time, but the wise redeem time. Literally, foolishness goes into debt to pay back squandered days, while wisdom is credited with time to spare. For example, by God’s grace you take time with your young children to instruct them in the ways of God, so in the long run you save time by reaping the benefits of your adult child’s wise decisions. Invested wisdom compounds.

Yes, because you live in the last days, there is no time to frolic with fools. Be intentional to walk with the wise and invest wisdom in emerging faithful leaders. Your wisdom is an asset from Almighty God given for you to grow and give away. You manage wisdom best when your pride decreases and your humility increases. So, humbly walk in wisdom!

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” James 3:13

Prayer: Heavenly Father, grow me in humility as I walk in Your wisdom.

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